SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Confidence is a crazy thing. Playing with a little extra panache, the IUPUI basketball team started well and led the majority of the opening half at Missouri State on Thursday night (Dec. 10). However, the host Bears erupted for a 55-point second half and outscored the Jaguars 55-32 after the break on way to an 88-74 victory.

Camyn Boone paced Missouri State (3-5) with a career-high 24 points and 10 boards and both Dorrian Williams and Chris Kendrix added 19 each. Junior Darell Combs notched a team-high 20 for the Jaguars, which included a 60-foot bomb to end the first half, giving the Jaguars a 42-33 lead at the break. Junior Matt O'Leary added 16 points, eight boards and four assists and sophomore Jordan Pickett contributed 12 points and three assists in the loss.

IUPUI (3-8) finished the game at 10-of-21 (47.6 percent) from three-point range, but committed 16 turnovers that led to 22 Missouri State points.

"We just turned it over too many times in the second half and that was the difference. We don't get shots and that led to them getting good looks and they cashed them in," IUPUI Head Coach Jason Gardner said. "I thought we came out with good energy and did a good job of executing in the first half, but we weren't as sharp in the second half.

"They were probably a little more aggressive than we were and got us in a little bit of foul trouble and I think that played a role (in the loss). We did a lot of good things tonight, but not nearly enough to win the game."

IUPUI used the aerial attack to build a 21-10 lead in the opening nine minutes as Pickett hit a pair of early treys just prior to a 13-2 Jaguar run. The lead swelled to 14 when Pickett hit his third first half trey at the 7:22 mark and the Bears eventually closed it to nine by the break.

Junior Nick Osborne opened the second half scoring with a putback of his own miss to put IUPUI in front by 11, but Missouri State later outscored IUPUI 18-2 over the next six minutes to take a five-point lead. O'Leary silenced the crowd with a trey and IUPUI was able to regain the lead moments later on a pair of Mason Archie free throws.

However, an 8-0 run gave the Bears the lead for good and IUPUI got no closer than four over the final six minutes.

"Those runs have really hurt us the past few games," Gardner said. "I think we panic a bit and get away from the gameplan when the other team is making a run. We tried to hit the homerun ball again tonight, rather than stick to what was working.

"On the road, you just want to make that big play to stop the momentum, but sometimes those quick shots work against you."

IUPUI shot a solid 45 percent from the floor, but allowed Missouri State to finish at 49 percent, including knocking down 17-of-29 (58.6 percent) attempt in the second half. The Bears also outscored the Jaguars 23-10 at the free throw line as IUPUI was called for 23 fouls.

Osborne finished with eight points and seven boards, but was limited to just 23 minutes due to foul trouble. IUPUI came into the game undermanned as reliable freshman Evan Hall missed the game due to illness. Senior Marcellus Barksdale added six points and four boards and Aaron Brennan also had six points and four rebounds off the bench.

Thursday's game was the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

IUPUI will cap the two-game trip at Creighton (5-3) on Saturday night in a game that will be nationally televised on FS1. Tip-off will be at 5:00 p.m. from CenturyLink Center in Omaha. IUPUI enters Saturday's game 0-1 all-time against the Bluejays.